Figure toy



July 929- B. RlTcHlE ET A1.

FIGURE TOY Filed Aug. 24, 1927 /0 ,Wvo 7 /w 5 1 im. Q/u 6 1, L o 1 0 547, n/ 7 F v 2 7 Jh 7 3 .f M 1 /O 6 7 n Z 1 3 4 7 /O Q|\ Patented July16, 1929.`

STES

Terri" trice.

`IBEATlttIGE RITCHIE AND EDNA MCGREW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIGURE TOY.

Application filed August 24, 1927. Serial No. 215,242.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in figure toys andmore particularly to that t ype of Figure toy known as the marionette.

An object of our invention is to provide a figure toy which is novel andattractive in appearance.

Another object is to provide a marionette in which the operating memberswill not become tangled.

Another object is to provide simple and efficient joints between thearticulated parts.

The invention consists in the improvements to be more fully describedhereii'iafter, and the novelty of which will be vparticularly pointedout and distinctly claimed.

ln the accon'ijninying drawings we have fully and clearly illustrated apreferred embodiment of our invention to be taken as a part of thisspecification and wherein,

Figure 1 is a front view of a figure toy embodying our invention,

Figure 2 is a side view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a side view of a modification.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 designates amarionette representing a human being having body members including ahead 2, a trunk -or body 3, connected thighs 4, legs 5, feet G, arms 7and hands 8. The legs 5 and feet (i are preferably formed integral asare also the arms 7 and hands 8. Longitudinally through each arm andhand is drilled, bored, or otherwise formed a hole 10. Each leg and foothas a pair of substan tially parallel longitudinal holes 11, 12 whichare connected beneath the foot by a groove 14.

Each thigh has a longitudinal hollow bore 15 which extends from thelower end 16 ofeach thigh to the waist 17. Through the trunk 3 from thewaist to the neck 18 are a pair of holes 19 and at substantiallyshoulder height ,is a transverse hole 20 extending between the shoulders21. The head 2 also has a pair of holes 22 from the neck 18 through thecrown .The body members are strung preferably on two cords or likefreely flexible members 24, 25. One of the cords 24 is passed throughone of the thigh holes 15 from the waist 17 and -provided with means toprevent its heilig pulled entirely through, as by a knot in the end ofthe cord. A spherical member 26 having a diametral bore, preferably abead, is then threaded on the cord. The cord is then threaded throughthe hole 11 in one of the legs 5 and into groove 14 and then up theadjacent hole l2. Another bead is then threaded on the cord which ispassed up the saine thigh hole 15 and at the waist receives anotherbead. The cord is then passed through the adjacent one of the trunkholes 19 and at the neck a bead is threaded on the cord before it ispassed up through one of the holes 22 in the head 2 and down through theother. Another bead is now threaded on the cord and the same passed downthrough the ren'iaining holes 19 and 15 respectively in the trunk 3 andthighs 4, of course receiving a bead between the members. The cord isnow 'Jassedthrough another bead and hole 12 in the remaining leg 5 andinto groove 14 and up hole 11. Between the leg and the thigh anotherbead vis placed upon the cord. This cord is then passed up along itselfin the last mentioned thigh hole and after being drawn fairly tight issecured at the waist, preferably by a knot.

The other cord is knotted, as at 27, leaving an end 28 for a purpose tobe presently described. This cord 25 is passed through hole 10 in one ofthe arms 7 from the hand 8 to the shoulder end where it is threadedthrough a bead, then through transverse opening or hole 20, then througha bead and finally through the remaining of the arms 7 when it isknotted as at 29 and an end or short length 30 left. l

It wi ll be apparent that by the use'of substantially spherical membersor beads 26 carried by the body member uniting cords 24, 25 between eachof the articulated body members, we have providedboth a spacer memberand a universal joint which is of simple construction adapted. for usein figure toys and particularly in ligure toys of the marionette type. i

The supporting and operating members remain to be described. They arepreferably of wire or other semirigid material. A supporting member 31,of any desired length, comprisesa link `32 having end eyelets 33, 34 anda second link 35 having end eyelets 36, 37 which are interconnected by aring 38 preferably of metal, passed through eyelets 34 and 36. Theeyelet 33 is connected to the cord 24 where it loops over the crown 23.The remaining eyelet 37 is hung in a loop 40 on a hand bar or support 41which may also be of stift wire. At either end of the bar 41 is a loop42 and from these loops depend operating members 43, 44 which aresimilar and but one will therefore be described. Member 43 comprises twolinks 45, 46 respectively having end loops 47, 48 and 49, 50; Link 45 isconnected to bar 4l by a ring 51 through loops 42 and 47. At its otherend this lin-k 45 is connected to link 46 by a ring 52 between loops 48and 49. The tree end ot link 46 is connected to the end 28 of cord 25.The operating member 44 is fastened at its lo-wer end to the end 30 otcord 25 and at its ripper end to the bar 4l.

Itis evident that lstill1 wire operating members 43, 44 and thesupportingmember 31 will not become tangled as is so often the casewithl flexible cords or strings and that the ring'joints between lthelinks will aitlord ample iiexibility lior operation ot the arm members 7In Figure 3 we have shown our invention as applied to a quadruped, therepresentation being that of an elephant. in stringing the body membersbeads are inserted between the memberson the connecting` cord asdescribed tor Figure l. The hand bar or support GO is Connected to a.supporting member (il which is connected at its lower end to the body 62otl the elephant preferably by a screw eye 63. In this modilicationthere are three operating members 64, G5, GG hung trom the bar 60. Thelinks ot members (34 are connected to the tail 67 while members G5 and66 are connected to the head 67 and the end 68 of the trunk 69respectively. From the body 62 depend lore legs 70 and hind legs 7lwhich are held to the body by means ot cords passed through the body,then through a bead on each side ot the body (not shown) and linally outthrough each leg where the ends of the cords are fastened respectivelyto the pairs oit beads 72, 73. The i'ore legs are jointed, as may be thehind legs, and comprise a thigh 74and an extremity 7 5 which areinterconnected by a. cord loop 7G passed through beads 77 and therespective parts of the fore leg. Ears 78 may be secured to the head'67by a cord and beads 79 in the same manner as the legs are secured to thebody.

' Having vthus described our invention what we claim as new-and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is Y l. A toy of theclass described comprising in combination a body, said body havingarticulated members, a support external to said body, said supporthaving eyelets and ointed means universally supported and depending fromsaid eyelets, the free ends of said means vlated parts of said ligure.

being secured for universal movement to certain of said members. f

2. A ligure toy comprising in combination an lapertured body, bodymembers having apertures, flexible connecting means extending throughthe apertures ot said body and certain of said body members to connectsaid body and body members together, a support, and jointed wiresconnected to said flexible means and connectingcertain of said bodymembers to said support.

3. A marionette comprising in combination a body, a head, body members,flexible means (connecting said body, head and body menibers,spacermembers threaded on said means between said head and said body andbetween said body and said body members, a support, a supporting memberdepending from said support and secured to said head, and operatingmeans interconnecting said support and certain of said body members.

4. A marionette comprising in combination a body, a head and bodymembers, means ibly connecting said headand body members to said bodyfor universal movement, a support, a plurality ot sets ot jointed linksdepending trom said support, a link ot one ot said sets being connectedto said head, and a link ot each other set being connected to saidErst-named means 'for movement otl said body members thereby.

5. A marionette, comprising a body, a head and body members, meansconnecting said head and members to said body tor universal movement, asupporting bar, and a plurality oi jointed links pivoted on anddepending trom said bar, the 'liree ends oit said links being connectedrespectively to said head and to certain ot said body members.

6. A marionette, comprising an articulated ligure, a supporting barhaving eyelets, rigid links pivoted in said eyelets and dependii'igYfrom said bar, eyelets in the free ends of said links, and linkspivoted to and depending :trom the eyelets ol:l said iirst-named links,one of said second-named links being connected at its tree end to saidfigure to support the same, others ot said second-named linl s being jconnected at their liree ends to the articu- In testimony whereof, wehave signed our names to this specilication, this 22nd day ot June,1927.

BETRCE RTCHE.V EDNA MCGREV.

